Ang Lee appears at Taipei book signing event

李安現身台北簽書會

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese film director Ang Lee (李安) on Sunday attended a talk and book signing in Taipei for the newly released classic edition of “A Ten-year Dream: The Ang Lee Story (Chinese Edition).”

Lee said classic films carry a “sense of purity,” and he hopes the drive for innovation and the sincerity behind filmmaking will never be replaced by AI. He revealed that he currently has two films in development, but both projects have stalled due to funding and copyright problems, per UDN.

The biography was written in 2002 by the late Chang Jinn-pei (張靚蓓), former director of the Taiwan Film Institute. It chronicles Lee’s career from his debut feature, “Pushing Hands,” to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” which earned him his first Academy Award. Sunday’s event marked the launch of the book’s updated edition.

Lee said his projects “Old Gold Mountain” and a long-planned biographical film about Bruce Lee remain on hold. The former was suspended just four weeks before shooting was scheduled to begin, he said. He is now waiting for changes to California’s film tax law in hopes of restarting production next year. The Bruce Lee project is also stalled due to copyright disputes and financing issues.

Commenting on Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery’s film and streaming assets, Lee said the consolidation could squeeze out smaller projects. He warned that excessive industry integration may accelerate the use of AI in filmmaking, threatening the unique character and human creativity that define cinema.

Lee said filmmakers are driven by the belief that they are creating something new that could change the world. “Innovation on one hand and preservation on the other—that is the essence of film,” he said. He emphasized that this spirit, grounded in authenticity and imagination, must not be replaced by AI.

This year marks several milestones for Lee’s career: the 20th anniversary of “Brokeback Mountain,” the 25th anniversary of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and the 30th anniversary of “Sense and Sensibility.” He said the anniversaries make this year “a moment for reflection,” adding, “I still have a lot of energy. I hope to make a few more films.”

Asked whether filmmaking is enjoyable, Lee joked, “Marriage requires fidelity, but does filmmaking? If one movie is a big hit, the next one must be more outrageous. If it runs into trouble, then be good again. If it’s a box office success, then try again. Isn’t that how it should be?”